The Milwaukee County sheriff has penned a letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham apologizing for the “rude” testimony in support of gun control delivered by the Milwaukee police chief last week.

Sheriff David Clarke Jr. wrote in the letter that he wanted to apologize, on behalf of his constituents, for the “embarrassing behavior” of Police Chief Edward Flynn.

“Please do not see his arrogance as exemplary of the people in Milwaukee County. His views on gun control are his and he is entitled to them, but he has no constituency of his own,” Clarke wrote.

He was referring to a Capitol Hill hearing last week in which Flynn testified in support of an assault weapons ban, saying most innocent people do not use such weapons to defend themselves.

Clarke accused Flynn of being a “mouthpiece” for a prominent national gun control group, but said he was particularly disappointed by a tense exchange between Graham and Flynn at the hearing.

“I watched in utter disbelief as (Flynn) talked over you and interrupted you,” Clarke wrote to the South Carolina Republican senator.

Clarke and Flynn have a history of animosity in Milwaukee, as they diverge sharply on the issue of gun rights and gun control. Clarke made headlines after he released a public service announcement urging residents to use guns to defend themselves.

Flynn, in response to Clarke’s letter, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he did not want to get “into a feud with a politician trying to raise funds for his next campaign. While David A. Clarke Jr. is certainly entertaining on these important topics he hasn't proven relevant to a serious discussion of the issues.”